Graduated compression hosiery has long been used in the medical industry, for example to aid in the prevention of deep vein thrombosis and as a means to help manage the post-thrombotic syndrome. In addition, graduated compression hosiery has known application for managing varicose veins and as used for everyday wear, it helps in terms of prevention of tired, swollen and generally uncomfortable legs, and especially with travel and with pregnancy.
Graduated compression clothing has also been trialled to aid with sports recovery after exercise but at present, the scientific and sports community give mixed reports of its efficacy for overall performance enhancement.
Non-graduated compression clothing is exemplified by forms of specialist swimwear and athletic wear. It is also used in extreme form by military pilots flying fast jets, whereby compression of the lower limbs forces blood to circulate maximally to the head, core and upper body to help prevent blackout.
The enhancement of overall sports performance is a worthwhile goal. A very small increment in sports performance is the difference between losing and winning a race, and thus a great deal of research is being done in the area. There are many items of clothing on the market that indirectly enhance performance, for example padded cycling shorts exist that make the rider more comfortable which therefore, may indirectly increase performance. Sports clothing can directly improve performance not as a result of the athlete's ability per se, but because of creating for example, less wind or water resistance through being worn tight and creating a more aerodynamic profile. On occasion, such materials technology can be deemed ‘unfair’ and can result in a ban of its use in professional sport as with for example, all-in-one, full body swim suits for use during previous Olympic Games.
There exists a need for an item(s) of clothing or other sportswear that can directly help enhance individual sports performance and/or sports recovery. This ability to aid in sport might well be translated to the medical industry, for example, to further improve the management of varicose veins, the post-thrombotic syndrome, lymphoedema, or quasi-medical conditions such as ‘cellulite’.